Paralyzed
by Matsimela29
Summary: Keith is plagued by injuries- both emotional and physical. He wears a mask of happiness to hide his internal agony. What will happen when the others find out?
1. Chapter 1

Keith plopped down on the training deck's cold metal floor. "End training level eighteen," He managed to rasp. The gladiator had done a number on his chest. His breathing was ragged and taxing. He laid down on his back, staring at the ceiling.

Just as he got his breathing under control, Veronica, Lance's sister, walked in. He jumped up, sheathing his Marmoran knife. He brushed his clothes off.

"I was sent to come get you. You were supposed to be at the debriefing a while ago," She scolded him.

"Oh, quiznak." He cursed. Keith ran off to his room, got changed, and bolted to the meeting room.

"So, cadet, you finally decided to show up," Iverson said gruffly. He frowned as Keith plopped down in an empty chair.

"Sorry," Keith sounded extremely hoarse. The rest of the crew looked surprised. Keith was usually the first one at the meetings. He was never late, and he was always in peak condition.

"Are you sick?" Shiro went into Space-Dad mode.

"No," Keith coughed. "I'm fine."

"No you're not. You're sick." Shiro said sternly.

"I'm not sick. I was training, and the gladiator hit me really hard in the chest, alright? Nothing's wrong. It's fine," Keith fired back.

"How long ago was that?" Shiro asked, looking strictly at Keith.

"I don't know, twenty doboshes? I'm fine," He insisted.

"Okay, something's wrong. Will someone get him to a doctor?" Shiro looked around at the assembly that was gathered before him. No one wanted to take an angry Keith to a doctor.

"I don't need a doctor, Shiro! I'm fine!" Keith protested.

"Acxa, please take him. If he's misbehaving, I know you could overpower him in seconds," Shiro smiled slightly.

"Hey! I don't need anyone to take me to the infirmary! I can walk myself there! And thanks for the confidence vote! I really needed yet one more person to treat me like a little kid!" Keith yelled, leaping up.

"Come on, Keith." Acxa said softly. She gently steered him out the door.

Once they left, Shiro sighed loudly. "You know what, meeting adjourned. I give up," He put his hands up in an "I surrender" position. He rubbed his temples as everyone filed out.

Back at the infirmary.

The doctor told Keith to take several deep breaths as he listened to his heart. When he heard Keith's breath, he looked very worried. He told Keith to take off his shirt, because he was worried that his lungs might be damaged from external threats.

When Keith finally gave in to taking off his shirt, the doctor gasped. Wrapped around his chest was a blood-stained bandage.

"Keith, what happened?" Acxa gasped.

"Nothing. The gladiator struck me super hard in the chest. When I was putting my knife in my room, I put it on a high shelf, then it fell, slipped out of the sheath, and grazed my chest where the gladiator struck. It's nothing." He said dismissively.

"It doesn't look like nothing," The doctor unwrapped the bandage slowly. What he saw was not nothing. It was far from nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Keith's chest looked like someone had dropped a car on him. His skin was purple, with hints of yellow, black, and blue. The "graze" was a centimeter- thick gash that was bleeding profusely. He had to lay down, because he was getting so dizzy. Acxa sat on the edge of the bed next to him, staring into his dark greyish-purple eyes.

The doctor called a nurse into the room and told her to go get Shiro. She hurried off.

"Keith, why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell _me_?" Acxa looked hurt.

"I- I- I couldn't let other people see me as weak. I couldn't. Acxa, I- I couldn't let _you _think that I was weak," Keith whispered, turning his head away in shame.

"Oh, Keith-" She got cut off by Shiro marching into the room.

"Keith? What's wro-" Shiro stopped abruptly when he saw Keith's damaged chest. "Oh, my-"

"Commander Shirogane, he has to have his body scanned for internal injuries. I need to scan him right away, in case there is something life- threatening." The doctor peered at Shiro over his glasses sternly.

"Then go right ahead. I would like to see your notes as to what happened while he's being scanned." Shiro requested.

"O- Of- Of course, Commander. Right away." The doctor stuttered, clearly caught off-guard. He handed Shiro the clipboard and Shiro went and sat down in a chair just outside the room. The doctor rushed off into another room and got the scanner ready.

"I guess I should leave, then," Acxa got up and started to walk away. She had tears shining in her eyes.

"No- No, Acxa, wait!" Keith called after her. "Acxa, please stay," He pleaded softly.

Acxa turned around. Tears were silently streaming down her face. She smiled in spite of her tears and sat down next to him.

"Promise- promise you'll stay, Acxa. I want you here," Keith reached for her hand. His cold hand rested on hers. He looked up at her weakly.

She loved the way he looked at her. He looked at her as if she was so precious to him. She never got that look from Lotor. He was always so cruel, so distant.

"Keith, I- I- I promise that I will never leave you, ever. I'll stay." She .

"Acxa, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. When I met you in the third stomach of that Weblum, I fell in love with you. The only reason why I didn't give up on life was because of you. For four years, I lived only because of you. I never wanted to hurt you. I didn't want you to hate me. I love you, Acxa." He wiped her tears with his hand.

"Oh, Keith," She leaned down and kissed him softly. "I love you too," She whispered, touching her forehead to his.

"Okay, so-" The doctor came in with a large machine. He turned bright red when he saw Keith and Acxa.

Shiro also came in. The doctor briefed him.

"We'll have to start the scan now. When we get the results, we'll make our verdict then." He said, tapping a few buttons on the scanner. "If I can have some help moving him... " The doctor trailed off.

Shiro picked Keith up and placed him on a rolling bed, which the doctor helped him roll into the machine.

Keith's hand brushed Acxa's for a brief second. He looked up at her, a reassuring smile on his face.

The doctor pressed another few buttons on the machine, which started scanning him. When the scan was done, the results popped up on the screen. The doctor paled significantly. That was saying a lot, seeing as his skin was as dark as Lance's.

"What's wrong?" Shiro sounded alarmed.

"A lot of his lungs have been crushed. His lungs- they're on the verge of collapsing. If we wait even a quintant, his lungs could fail, and he could die. We need to perform surgery now, or he'll die." The doctor's voice shook.

"Then we need to start now. I'm not taking the chance that they'll strengthen on their own. Do whatever you need to do to keep him alive." Shiro commanded.

"Acxa," Keith rasped as the doctor wheeled him to a surgery room.

"I'll be here when you're all better, Keith. I won't leave you, not for a second." She promised.

"I'd better tell the rest of the crew," Shiro rubbed the back of his neck. He hurried off.

"Oh, Keith," Acxa thought. "You'd better come back to me."


	3. Chapter 3

(In this story, Shiro and Pidge are the same age (22) have been married for a year)

Shiro called an emergency meeting over the loudspeaker. He said that it was urgent and vital that everyone be there.

When everyone arrived, he began.

"We ended the last meeting early, because of a health complication with Keith. I just came back from the medical bay." He hesitated, taking a shaky breath. "The doctor scanned him, and he said-" Shiro's voice broke. "The doctor said- he said- Keith's lungs were majorly injured, and they were on the verge of collapsing. He's performing surgery right now, trying to save his lungs. If he doesn't succeed, Keith- he'll-" A tear silently fell down his cheek. "He'll die."

This news caused whispers to break out. The paladins and a few others had tears shining in their eyes.

"So, no Voltron?" James Griffin said, raising his eyebrows.

"No, shit!" Lance yelled. Everyone was surprised at his sudden outburst. "Keith might die, and you're worried about Voltron? What the heck is wrong with you? I know you hate Keith, but the least you could do is at least _act _like you care!" He fumed.

"Whoa, I didn't know Keith had a boyfriend. Hey, Allura, Lance is apparently cheating on you with Mullet!" Griffin laughed cruelly.

Lance launched himself at Griffin. He punched him square in the jaw. Griffin stumbled back, clearly stunned.

"Aww, is Keith's wittle boyfweind defwending him?" Griffin said in a mock-baby voice. "You wanna go?" He challenged. He took off his jacket and tossed it aside. He threw a dashing smile at Pidge, which angered both Lance and Shiro equally.

"Don't you _dare _hit on my wife," Shiro growled. He marched over to Griffin, grabbed him by the collar, and pushed him up against the wall. "If I ever see you hitting on her again, I will strip you of your rank and throw you out the airlock doors and out into space," He threatened.

Griffin gave him an impish smile and saluted. Shiro dropped him to the ground and dismissed the meeting.


	4. Chapter 4

Acxa had been waiting outside of the surgery room for almost three vargas until the doctor came out and told her that the surgery was over, and it was successful. She wept with joy and relief.

The doctor told her she could go to room three and wait for him to wake up. She hurried off to Keith's room, desperate to see him.

Keith was lying on a bed with the sheets pulled up to his waist. His torso was bare, except for a huge bandage wrapped from the bottom of his ribcage to his neck. His raven-black hair was spread out on the pillow, almost like a halo. On his face was a slight smile, like he was having a good dream.

After a few doboshes, his greyish-purple eyes fluttered open. "A-A-Acxa?" He rasped. Tears spilled down Acxa's face. "Why are you crying? Did something happen?" He asked, looking worried.

"No, nothing happened. I'm just so glad to see you alive and alright," She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "I can't tell you how worried I was," She sniffed.

"Well then let me tell you how glad I am to see you," He leaned up and his lips crashed against hers. He stroked her cheek softly. She loved the way he treated her like a goddess, like she was his number-one priority.

Acxa ran her hand through his hair, nonchalantly braiding it and unbraiding it. She was now sitting on the bed next to him, her head leaning against his shoulder. They sat like that for a while, occasionally murmuring a few words to each other.

They both jumped when the door hissed open. Acxa quickly relocated herself to the chair next to the bed.

All the paladins walked in, along with Coran, Shiro, and his mom, Krolia. His face broke out into a broad grin when Kosmo bounded across the room and teleported on top of his lap. Kosmo got up in his face and covered it with wet kisses. Suddenly, Kosmo stopped to sniff him.

"Yeah, I know. You're not the first person to kiss me today," Keith whispered into his cosmic wolf's ear.

"What was that?" Coran asked, perching himself on the bedside table.

"Oh, nothing," Keith blushed a deep crimson.

"How ya feelin', Keith?" Lance asked.

"My chest hurts, but other than that, I feel awesome." His eyes locked with Acxa's for a moment, reading her expression perfectly.

"Guess what? Lance got into a fight with Griffin over you!" Hunk gushed. "And then, Griffin hit on Pidge and so Shiro threatened him big-time!"

"Really? Lance, is this true?" Keith looked bewildered.

"Yes, though it was his fault. He was only worried about Voltron, not you, and hey, you're the Team Leader, and so I couldn't let that fly." Lance shrugged his shoulders.

"Thanks, Lance. I know you'll always have my back," Keith smiled.

"So, when can you do physical activities again?" Pidge inquired. She leaned her head back to rest on Shiro's chest. Like usual, she was sitting on his lap, his arms wrapped around her tiny waist.

"I don't know. I hope it's soon, though." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"One Spicolian Movement," Acxa answered. Everyone stared at her, completely caught off guard. "What? The doctor told me," She said defensively.

"Oh, sure," Lance said under his breath. Everyone but Keith and Acxa snickered.

"One _week_? That's too long!" Keith complained. He wanted to get back to training at once.

"No, it's not. It'll pass quickly, if you spend the time right." Allura suggested.

He and Acxa glanced mischievously at each other for a split tick, then averted their attention to the rest of the team.

"Oh, I will," It was obvious that he kept glancing at Acxa, but no one wanted to say anything; it was too cute.

"Well, we'd best be off. We have a meeting in three vargas, and I expect _everyone _to be there." Shiro said sternly.

As everyone filed out, Krolia came over to her son. "I love you, Keith," She said, kissing him on the forehead.

"Love you too, Mom," He replied. Krolia exited.


	5. Chapter 5

"You need to get in some real clothes, Keith." Acxa pulled out a wheelchair from a closet in the corner. "I'll wheel you back to your room, then we can spend some time hanging out."

"Thanks, Acxa." Keith put his arm around Acxa's shoulder and she helped him to the wheelchair. "This is one of the many reasons why I love you, you know," He said.

"I'll actually wheel you there, grab some lunch for us, and meet you in the cafeteria. If you don't hurry, though, I might eat your food," She joked.

They laughed in unison. Acxa and Keith chatted the whole way there, her pushing his wheelchair along with incredible strength. When they got to his room, Acxa made sure that he was going to be okay, then sauntered off to the cafeteria.

When the door shut behind Acxa, Keith collapsed on his bed. He curled into a tight ball, shaking and crying. He was crying because he wished that he had died, instead of the doctor saving his life. He wanted to be put out of his misery, once and for all.

He started hyperventilating. His heart was beating like a drum now, never slowing, never stopping. He broke out into a cold sweat, shivering violently. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't stop sobbing.

The last time he had a panic attack this violent, it was when Shiro disappeared on the Kerberos Mission. It took several vargas to calm himself down fully then.

Back at the cafeteria, Acxa was waiting awkwardly at a table in the corner. She had been waiting for almost thirty doboshes, which worried her.

"Hey Acxa!" Veronica called. Acxa lifted her head. "Why aren't you eating?" She asked, plopping down across from Acxa.

"Keith said he would meet me for lunch twenty doboshes ago. He couldn't have forgotten, could he?" She looked around worriedly.

"Nah, that's more of Lance's thing," She waved her hand at Rizavi, who was looking for a place to sit.

"Do you think I should go check on him?" Acxa asked.

"I would give him another ten doboshes, then if he doesn't come, go check," Veronica peered at Acxa over her glasses.

Outside Keith's room...

Lance passed Keith's room on his way to the bridge. He heard someone crying violently, so he knocked on the door.

"Hey, Keith, you okay?" He got no response. "Keith?" He opened the door. He gasped. Keith was having a panic attack! He rushed over to Keith. "Keith! Keith can you hear me?" He said gently. "Keith, buddy, it's gonna be okay," He carefully un-scrunched Keith and wrapped his arms around the other paladin.

"No- no- Shiro, don't leave," Keith whimpered. He wasn't making any sense. Thankfully, he spotted Pidge out in the hallway.

"Pidge! Go get Shiro and Acxa! Keith's having a panic attack!" He yelled desperately. Pidge looked scared, but nodded and ran off.

Pidge ran to the bridge. When she got there, she leaned against the main console in exhaustion.

"Keith- he- he's- he's having- a- a- panic attack," She stammered. Shiro's eyes grew wide and he ran out of the bridge. The rest of the crew stared out the open door in disbelief.

"He- Keith's WHAT?" Curtis, Veronica's communications partner, stared at Pidge.

"He's having a panic attack!" She yelled as she ran to the cafeteria. "Acxa!" She screamed at the top her lungs. Acxa leapt up. Pidge came up to her table, out of breath.

"What? What's wrong?" Acxa said.

"You need to go to Keith's room. Quick. He- he's having a panic attack," Pidge rasped. Acxa ran off towards Keith's room. Pidge threw up into the nearest trash can.

"Pidge? Are you okay?" Veronica patted her back.

"Oh, quiznak," Pidge muttered. "I didn't think," She scolded herself.

"Think about what?" Veronica asked.

"I- I'm pregnant." She admitted.

"Oh, Pidge, I'm so happy for you!" Veronica squealed. She noticed the guilty look on Pidge's face. "What's wrong?"

"I- I haven't told Shiro. He knows something's up, but he doesn't know what." She sat down at the table with her head in her hands. "And- and- and- if I have a miscarriage- it'll be the third," A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Oh, Pidge," Veronica gave her a hug.

"But nevermind me, we have bigger things to worry about." She wiped her eyes and stood up. "Please don't tell Shiro," She pleaded.

"Tell him what?" Veronica cocked her head, playing dumb. She laughed and linked her arm with Pidge's. "I will never tell him anything you don't want me to," She promised

Back at Keith's room...

Shiro rushed in. He looked worried. Lance was cradling Keith in his arms, Keith crying into Lance's shirt.

"Shiro? Has this happened happened before?" Lance said over Keith's sobs.

"Only a few times. I know how to calm him down, but it could take literal vargas. He has been building up a lot of emotions for a long time. I'm just surprised it took this long," Shiro sat down on the bed and took Keith in his arms. He rocked him back and forth, like a baby. Lance got the feeling that this usually worked, but it wasn't making a difference.

Suddenly, Acxa rushed in the room. Tears were shining in her eyes. She rushed over to Keith. When he saw her, he briefly stopped crying and stared at her wildly.

"A- A- Acxa?" He whispered.

"It's me, Keith," She said softly. Shiro shifted over on the bed to make room for Acxa. She sat down, and she wrapped her arms around Keith. She stroked his hair. She pulled away and cupped his face in her hands. "Keith, I love you. Don't forget that," She kissed him gently. His tears slowed. They sat there, in a tender embrace, her stroking his hair and singing softly to him. He was still crying, but only just. He finally stopped crying, but only after Acxa had whispered something in his ear. He smiled slightly, despite his tears.

Lance and Shiro had been watching them in shock. Lance wasn't used to seeing Keith so broken and helpless. Shiro was just surprised that she calmed him down so fast.

Keith whispered something inaudible. "Come again?" Lance asked.

"Why do you care? Why haven't you made fun of me yet?" Keith asked Lance sadly.

"Keith, I'm not going to make fun of you. I care, because I have panic attacks too. It's not something to be taken lightly." He said kindly.

"You do?" Keith looked disbelievingly at the Blue paladin.

"I do, just not as much anymore. I had minor ones almost every night for the first deca-phoeb after we arrived to the Castle of Lions and learned about Voltron. I was scared, and I wanted to go home. I considered leaving several times. I- I also- I also considered- I also considered suicide." He hung his head in shame. "I was so scared. I didn't know what the future held. I was terrified of never seeing my family again." He wiped away the tears that were spilling down his face.

"If you had committed suicide, then it would have torn the team apart. You are a vital part of our team." Shiro spoke for the first time in several doboshes.

"I only decided not to after seeing how Pidge almost leaving practically sent our team into chaos. I couldn't begin to imagine what would happen if I committed suicide." He admitted hesitantly.

"I'm sorry, but we really must get to the debriefing. If we hurry, we won't be late." Shiro stood up and walked out. Lance followed suit after an awkward silence.

Acxa waited for Keith to get ready to face everybody. They assumed that news of Keith's panic attack had spread throughout the ship. When they walked to the meeting room, they walked hand-in-hand, proudly displaying their relationship. Right before they entered the debriefing, Keith placed a soft kiss on Acxa's forehead.

"No matter what," He said. She echoed his promise. When they walked in, everyone stopped chatting and stared. "H-hi," Keith rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly with his free hand.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Keith," Hunk said, ending the awkward silence. After his comment, Shiro stood up and started the meeting.


	6. Chapter 6

"We've been picking up traces of psyferite in these locations." Shiro said, pointing to a few places on the holographic map. "As you all know, this is the same metal found in Honerva's Robeasts, which were supposedly all destroyed after her downfall. More Robeasts could cause a lot of trouble."

"So, we just wormhole there, form Voltron, bust some ninja moves, and be back in time for dinner," Lance's stomach grumbled loudly.

"That actually sounds like a good idea, Lance." Shiro nodded approvingly. He turned off the hologram. "Allura, can you fire up the teludav real quick? Then you can jump in your lion, form Voltron, and find out what's happening." He suggested. "Everyone, get to battle stations."

"Actually, Voltron is a no-go for me," Pidge said timidly.

"Why can't you form Voltron, Katie?" Shiro asked.

"I can't engage in combat," She said, resting her hand on her slight bump of a stomach.

"Why can't you engage in combat?" He asked, cocking his head.

She rushed over and whispered something into his ear excitedly. "Are you serious?" He stared disbelievingly. "I'm going to be a father?" He asked giddily.

She nodded. "We're having a baby boy," She grinned. She laughed in delight as Shiro picked her up and spun her around. He gave her a tender kiss.

This news caused whispers to break out. Sam, Coleen, and Matt Holt had tears in their eyes. They rushed over to Pidge and Shiro and engaged in a group hug. Pidge squeaked in protest.

"I'm sorry to break up this precious family moment, but we need to get going," Griffin said coldly.

Lane glared at him.

"Ooh, scary," Griffin sneered. Even the other MFE fighter pilots, his best friends, looked appalled.

Rizavi turned to face Griffin and spoke in a deadly tone. "James Lucas Griffin, you are undoubtedly the most arrogant asshole I have ever met." She slapped him across the face. "I hope you die in the most painful way possible, and I hope you're branded a coward for the rest of time. You need to stop thinking that the universe revolves around you, and start being a good leader and less of an asshole. No one likes you, and you have yet to get off your high horse and realise that. At this point, you act worse than Honerva. She looks like an angel next to your pile of shit. So get your life together, put aside your ego, and stop with all the bullshit." She growled and slapped him again for good measure.

"Nice speech, bitch, but I'm still your commanding officer. You can't speak to me like that. You are removed of your position. Get off this ship right now before I throw you out the airlock," Griffin hissed.

"Actually, I have the power to not only override that command, but to also demote you down to the lowest position. Rizavi, you are now the MFE Lieutenant. Kinkade, you're her second-in-command. Leif, third. Griffin, last. If you have a problem with those arrangements, too bad, so sad." Shiro said firmly. Rizavi was practically bouncing off the walls in excitement, whereas Griffin was glaring at everyone equally. Kinkade and Leifsdöttir were indifferent. "Now, everyone, GET TO BATTLE STATIONS!" He yelled so loud that Iverson was jealous. He grasped his wife's hand, and kept her behind as everyone filed out.

Keith lingered by the door, but he got the feeling that he was unwanted. He felt that way too often. He walked to the bridge alone.


	7. Chapter 7

When he got there, everyone was bustling around, getting ready to go into battle. A few doboshes later, Shiro and Pidge walked in. They were both beaming. The only other time Keith had seen Shiro this happy was at his wedding. Keith was standing in the corner, watching everyone rush around. He was silently observing everyone. He learned a few things that he hadn't known before.

Veronica constantly pushed her glasses farther up her nose. Coran twisted his mustache when he was nervous. Iverson scratched his chin a lot. Curtis never stopped tapping his left foot. Shiro was constantly glancing at Pidge, who was sitting in a chair next to his podium.

"Okay. Allura, fire up the teludav when you're ready," Shiro said over the intercom.

"Powering up now," She answered. A huge blue swirling wormhole appeared right in front of the IGF Atlas. The Atlas zoomed through the wormhole. When they came out on the other side, all they saw was a few planets.

"That's where the signal is emanating from, sir," Curtis said, pointing to a blue planet with dark brown rocky rings. "Athazagora 9."

"Paladins, launch your lions and proceed with caution towards the crash site. Do not engage, unless you have to. I repeat, do _not_ engage." Shiro ordered. "If there is a Robeast, find the pilot immediately."

"Roger that," Lance said. Four out of the five lions launched. The Atlas followed them to the watery planet.

"We found a Robeast." Keith said over the coms. The Robeast was half submerged in water on a beach.

"And I found the pilot!" Allura zoomed down towards a long cylinder lying on the shore, partially covered with sand. She ran out of her lion and approached the pod. "Romelle, do you recognise this Altean?" Allura rubbed off some sand, exposing a delicate female Altean.

She had flowing black hair, with blue tips. Her skin was the color of copper. She had deep red Altean markings, but not only in the usual places. There was a marking on her forehead like the markings on the old suits that Lotor's generals used to wear.

"That- that's- that's Alina. She despises Lotor, and all Galra. She has unnatural capabilities, even though she's Altean. She has extreme agility, and she can read people's emotions. Whenever Lotor visited the colony, she always hid in the woods. She has the power to completely blend into her surroundings. I assume she was forced to pilot the Robeast against her will. If Honerva was a relative of Lotor, Alina would have hated her all the same." Romelle said.

"Then why does she have the symbol of Lotor's generals on her forehead?" Acxa interjected. "That was a symbol that I used to wear proudly, displaying my affiliation with Lotor. Wearing that mark ruined my life. I was ecstatic to remove it from my life permanently."

"I don't know. She must have been branded with it when she was forced to join Honerva. She didn't have those markings when I last saw her," Romelle said nervously.

"Well, we need to get her back to the Atlas. Princess, can you get her to your lion by yourself?" Keith ordered.

"I am not one of your fragile human women. I can lift a ton, and still not break a sweat," Allura said indignantly.

"Okay then. Allura, get the Altean to your lion. Paladins, get back to the Atlas. There's nothing else for us here." Shiro ordered.

The lions raced back to the Atlas. Shiro, Romelle, and the rest of the paladins hurried to the Blue Lion's hangar. When they got there, Allura was about to open the pod.

Romelle ran over just as Allura opened the pod. With a loud hiss, the glass disappeared. The Altean, Alina, gasped and sat straight up. She seemed to have just been revived.

"Alina!" Romelle helped her up and out of the pod.

"R-R-R-Ro-Romelle?" Alina said hoarsely. She stared in disbelief at everyone crowded around her. "Where am I? Who are these people? Is that- Princess Allura? Your majesty!" Alina fell to her knees, bowing to Allura.

"Please, rise. There is no need to bow to me." Allura said kindly.

Alina hastily got up. For some reason, her deep blue eyes turned yellow. "Galra," She spotted Keith and hissed.

"Don't worry. I'm here to help." Keith said in a soothing voice.

"You are afraid," Alina said quietly. "You are afraid of me. You are panicking."

Keith staggered back like she had just punched him. "How- how did you-" He stammered. Lance tapped his head, and a look of realisation crossed his face. "Oohhh."

"You filthy Galra!" Alina hissed again. "You murdered numerous Alteans, and wiped out Altea! You deserve to be dead!" She yelled, her voice echoing throughout the room. She advanced towards Keith, her face contorted with rage.

"Alina! Keith's good! He saved me from the colony! Without him, I would be dead!" Romelle pulled Alina back.

"The Galra are a pitiful race. They thrive in war. They live for bloodshed. They cannot be trusted. All deserve to die!" She screamed inhumanly and leapt at Keith. She raked her nails across his face, drawing blood. She jumped onto his shoulder and sunk her sharp teeth into his shoulder blade.

Keith gasped in pain. Oddly enough, he wasn't doing anything to fight back. Usually, he would have his bayard out and be hacking away with his sword, but he wasn't doing anything.

"Alina! He's good! Leave him alone! Get off him!" Romelle yelled. She desperately grabbed Alina's foot, trying to pull her away from Keith.

"He must die!" She snarled, ripping a chunk of his hair out.

Keith uttered a small cry, then collapsed on the metal floor.

"Alina! Leave him be!" Allura commanded. Alina hesitantly backed away, blood dripping from her nails and teeth. Teeth isn't actually the best word. They elongated into fangs when she attacked, but they shrunk back to a normal size.

Shiro knelt next to Keith. His shoulder was bleeding really badly. It was just short of gushing.

Keith took a shaky breath and tried to sit up, but he went limp. He was deathly pale, way more than usual.

Shiro tore off some of his shirt and used the fabric to slow the bleeding. He picked Keith up and rushed off to the infirmary.

Alina's eyes turned back to deep blue. She gasped for air, like a fish out of water. She looked down at her blood-stained nails in horror. "What happened?"

"You freaking attacked Keith, that's what!" Lance yelled, getting up in her face.

"I- I- I _what_? What did you say?" She looked utterly bewildered.

"You attacked the paladin of the Black Lion! You attacked the one who saved me!" Romelle cried.

"I- I- That wasn't me. That was-" She screamed and her eyes turned pure black. She rose up in the air. Her body shook, as if she was being electrocuted.

"Allura! Do something!" Romelle said desperately.

Allura placed her hands on Alina's temples, and she began to glow brightly. After a few seconds, a glowing purple light came out of Alina's open mouth. It looked like the entity that possessed Allura a few phoebs ago.

Lance trapped the light in a containment unit. It fought him, but eventually, it went still.

Alina crumpled to the ground. Her head hit the ground with a sickening thud. Her mouth hung slightly open. Romelle and Allura picked her up and carried her to the infirmary.

When they got there, Shiro was pacing outside one of the rooms.

"What are you doing?" Romelle called.

"I'm waiting to go back into the room. Acxa's with him, so I decided to give them some privacy. His wound isn't as bad as we thought. He lost a fair amount of blood, but he'll be fine." Shiro rubbed the back of his neck. "What happened to Alina?" He asked.

"She was possessed by the entity. The entity had complete control of her. That's why she attacked Keith." Allura explained. "We need the doctor to monitor her health until she wakes up again."

Shiro nodded and pointed down the hall to the doctor's office. Romelle smiled gratefully, and she and Allura carried Alina to the doctor.


	8. Chapter 8

"Why is it always you who gets hurt? You always seem to be injured. You could take a break, you know. Not get hurt," Acxa brushed the stray hairs out of Keith's face, a smile brightening her hostile appearance.

"But that would take the fun out of risk-taking," Keith smiled, his arm was in a sling.

"I agree. It would. But don't get hurt again, or else I am going to have to ground you." Acxa said sternly.

"How? You're not my mom!" Keith's laughed echoed around the cold metal walls.

"I can take away kissing privileges for a Spicolian Movement."

"You wouldn't!"

"I would."

"No!"

"Absolutely."

"Fine, I promise."

"To what?"

"To not get hurt again."

"Good." Acxa gave him a teasing kiss on the lips. He moved his hand to the back of her neck. The sheets slid off him. The kiss deepened. They moved in sync.

Keith made a low, guttural noise. Acxa was startled by this. She pulled away.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I- I- I- The back of my neck. It hurts." He whined, rubbing his neck.

Acxa looked to see what the problem was. A patch of purple was spreading across his neck and on his back rapidly.

"K- Keith, don't freak out, but I think you're changing. I mean, appearance-wise. You're turning purple, like- like- like a Galra." Her voice was shaky. The patch stopped growing once it was the size of a dinner plate, but it was clearly the skin of a Galra.

"Great. Now Lance'll call me Galra Guy, or some other hideous nickname." Keith grumbled. "Please don't tell anyone, though. I couldn't bear being vulnerable again."

"I won't tell a soul," Acxa promised.

They leapt apart as the door hissed open. Lance strode in.

"Oh, good, you're okay!" He plopped down in a chair next to Keith's bed.

"Yeah. Do you know why Alina attacked me, other than the fact that I'm half-Galra?" Keith yawned.

"She was possessed by the entity that possessed Allura. Allura managed to draw it out, but it knocked Alina unconscious, and now her vitals are all weird. But I bet she'll be fine." Lance said dismissively.

"Good." Keith said, as a bunch of alarms went off. The IGF Atlas listed to the starboard side.


	9. Chapter 9

Keith, Acxa, and Lance rolled to the side of the room. As soon as the ship righted itself, they all jumped up and rushed to the bridge.

"Fire cannons." Shiro ordered from his podium. His brow was furrowed frustratedly.

"They're not doing any damage, sir!" Curtis glanced up from his computer.

Shiro muttered a curse. "Paladins, get to your lions!" There was a huge Galra installation in the planet below them. They were releasing hundreds of fighters per second. The Atlas was overwhelmed.

Keith and Lance rushed to their lion's hangars.

"Wait!" Acxa caught up to Keith in the hallway. "Your arm! You can't fight like that."

"Watch me," Keith ran away.

Acxa sighed and went to her ship's hangar. It was the fourth most powerful ship with them, after the lions, the MFEs, and the Atlas.

She launched out into battle. She spotted the Black Lion a quarter-mile away. "Keith! Are you good?" She yelled over the coms.

"Acxa? You're supposed to be on the ship!" His lion whirled around to face her fighter.

"On the ship, my ass. You need my help. We need to take control of the base. Keith, Allura, Lance, come with me. Hunk, stay and cover us." She ordered, zooming towards the main building.

They landed and met up in the hangar.

"Now what?" Keith asked.

"See if you can find the general in charge of this base. Capture them, and try not to harm them. If you have to, knock 'em out. Do NOT eliminate them." Shiro's voice sounded over the coms.

"Copy that." Keith nodded and ran forward, sword in hand.

They searched the halls until they came to the main control room. There, standing at the main control panel, was the general.

The Galra general was female. Her skin was a light lavender. Her hair was long and black, done up in a complex braid. Her eyes were the most intriguing part of her. Instead of a pure yellow or purple, they were a bright emerald green, with large pupils. Her armor was pure black, with dark purple accents. She was unarmed, except for a small blaster at her belt. She appeared to only be about eighteen.

She raised her arms above her head, surrendering.

"I will not harm any of you or your comrades. I surrender." Her voice was smooth and melodious. It sounded like a viola.

"What's your name? How old are you?" Allura stepped forward and took the general's gun off her belt.

"My name is Persephone. I am eighteen."

"If you are eighteen, then how did you acquire such a prestigious position?" Allura slowly circled her.

"I am the daughter of a general named Sendak."

"Sendak? The guy who tried to destroy Earth?" Lance's jaw dropped.

"Yes. My dear father was a monster. I am ashamed of his actions. I fought my way to the top of the chain. I was given this position because the average IQ for my age and gender for Galra is 190, and my IQ is 460. I am smarter than most generals. My battle strategizing is on a completely separate level than everyone else." She scoffed.

"Is that so?" Acxa narrowed her eyes.

"Ah, darling Acxa. Long time no see." Persephone smiled sweetly, but her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"You know her?" Keith stumbled back in surprise.

"Unfortunately. She used to be one of Lotor's Generals, until she got kicked out. She helped the Blade of Marmora, until she was found out. Instead of going quietly, she marred Narti's face, rendering her blind and unable to speak." Acxa wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"I did not! Lotor threw a sword at me! I dodged it and it hit Narti, who was behind me!" Persephone yelled in indignation. She took a step towards Acxa, but everyone pointed their weapons towards her. "Anyways, you might want to get ready. A whole squadron of sentries are coming our way. I ordered them to attack right before you guys stormed the place."

"Classic Persephone. Smile sweetly then stab us in the back." Acxa growled.  
Right as she lifted her gun, the doors hissed open and troops rushed in. She and the paladins fought their way through the soldiers, cutting down five a second.

The last sentry knocked Keith to the ground. He slashed at it, and it fell to the ground in pieces.

Acxa offered her hand to him. She helped him up, then pulled him into a kiss. She kept it short, pulling away with a small smile on her face.

"Nice move," Keith raised his eyebrows.

"I try," She laughed. Then, all of the sudden, she gasped in pain. Protruding from her stomach was the tip of a glowing purple sword. She fell forward, revealing her attacker. It was a Galra lieutenant.

"Acxa!" Keith cried. He caught her in his arms and dropped to the ground, cradling her in his arms. Blood was pouring from her wound.

Lance stood, shocked. He finally came to his senses and shot and killed the lieutenant.

"Keith," Acxa coughed violently. "I- I- I love you," She caressed his cheek with her hand.

"Don't leave me, Acxa. I can't lose you." Tears streamed down Keith's face.

"Don't cry, my darling. I'll see you again. Be happy. Don't immerse yourself in sorrow. I'll see you again. I love you, Keith." She weakly leaned up and kissed him softly.

"I love you too, Acxa."

"I'll see you again, Keith, my love." She sighed softly. Her grip on Keith's hand loosened. Her eyes gazed off, unseeing.

Keith screamed in despair. He wept and beat the ground in anguish. Tears were falling fast and thick onto the cold metal floor.

After a few minutes, he just stopped moving. He was paralyzed in grief. Lance cautiously approached him and helped him up. Keith was crying quietly. Lance practically carried him back to the Blue Lion, where he set him down on a pallet, and piloted him back to the Atlas. Black followed them somberly.

Lance took Keith to his room, laid him down on his bed, and left him to go face the crew.

When the paladins and Persephone got to the bridge, everyone was crying, or just staring off into space, unable to comprehend what had happened.

Pidge and Veronica were hugging each other, sobbing.

Shiro was staring at the ground, a single tear trickling down his face. He looked up. "We heard it all."

"Why Acxa? Why couldn't it have been someone else? Why couldn't it have been me?" Persephone said angrily.

"I thought you didn't care about Acxa," Lance said harshly.

"How could I not care about her? She was my sister!" Persephone yelled, tears streaming down her face.

"Your sister? But you two acted like you two hated each other's guts!" Lance's jaw dropped.

"I- you know what, I don't want to talk about this right now. Is there somewhere I can sleep for the night?" Persephone asked Shiro.

"There are some extra bedrooms near the paladin's quarters. You can sleep in one of those rooms. Curtis, go ahead and show her where they are." Shiro sighed and wiped his eyes. "I just realized something. This is our first death on our trip. But anyway, I should go check on Keith. He probably is about to suffocate from grief."


End file.
